View full sizeThe OregonianAldridge is optimistic he can return tonight after a two-game absence with a sprained left ankle.

TUALATIN — There are two pressing lineup questions hanging over the Trail Blazers as they prepare to face the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the Rose Garden.

One of them already has been answered.

Coach Nate McMillan said he will not make any changes to his starting lineup, meaning embattled and ineffective Raymond Felton will continue to start at point guard. However, the Blazers have not yet determined whether LaMarcus Aldridge will return to the starting lineup after a two-game absence with a sprained left ankle.

Aldridge, who went through the team’s morning shootaround at the practice facility in Tualatin, remains a gametime decision.

Aldridge said the pain level in his left ankle is “very minimal” but he is waiting to be cleared by team trainer Jay Jensen for tonight’s game. Since injuring his ankle in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s loss to the Washington Wizards, Aldridge has gone through a series of treatments three times a day.

They have helped him recover to the point that he is optimistic he can return tonight.

“I’m trying to go, but if I’m not feeling 100 percent then (Jensen is) going to hold me out,” Aldridge said. “But I should be able to go tonight. We’ll see.”

As for McMillan’s lineup, he said he already made a change — replacing Wesley Matthews with Nicolas Batum at shooting guard before facing the Wizards — and he wants to give that starting five a chance before making any further changes.

“We made a change before (Aldridge) went down,” McMillan said. “If (Aldridge) can play tonight, I still want to look at that group together. We haven’t had a chance to play that staring lineup.”

McMillan does plan on making one slight tweak to his rotation, however. He said he intends on playing rookie guard Nolan Smith at point guard behind Felton, which means Jamal Crawford — who has played backup point some in recent games — will mostly play shooting guard on the second unit.

Smith likely will play the minutes that Elliot Williams had been seeing in recent games.